Government Initiatives Enhance Ease of Compliance in Export System

• 30 Jul 2025
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The Government of India has taken numerous measures to boost transparency, encourage ease of compliance in the export system and to facilitate exports, particularly for MSMEs and small businesses having minimal capital. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has introduced various digital measures in order to streamline the foreign trade processes. 

The DGFT portal helps in smooth online applications and approvals for several Foreign Trade Policy benefits like Advance Authorization, Export Promotion Capital Goods and Status Holder certification. Not only this, the portal is also integrated with ICEGATE, GSTN, MCA and PFMS to ensure efficient data validation as well as processing.

DGFT has also taken several other key initiatives. One being the self-certification system for eBRCs and another being digitized e-Certificate of Origin (eCoO 2.0) system to enable real-time authentication and ease the manual burden. The revamped e-Certificate of Origin (eCoO) 2.0 system is operational for the Preferential as well as Non-Preferential Certificates of Origin. This system allows for end to end digital issuance using QR codes and Aadhaar-based e-signatures. 

It connects exporters with issuing agencies and chambers of commerce through a single online platform, thereby improving authentication and service delivery. To support Indian exporters, the Ministry has also launched the Trade Connect ePlatform. This platform serves as a one stop interface for the purpose of addressing trade queries as well as enhancing access to international markets. 

Key features of the ePlatform include information on Trade Agreements, a Tariff Explorer to assess Free Trade Agreement (FTA) benefits, and guides on country and product information for market access and compliance insights. It also offers a Global e-Commerce Guide and details about Trade Events Worldwide. Additionally, the platform features EXIM Paathshaala (learning modules), an “Ask an Expert” option for resolving trade-related queries and the “Source from India” discovery tool, which connects foreign buyers with verified Indian exporters. It also includes a unified system for issuing Certificates of Origin for Indian exporters.

In order to strengthen the interaction between stakeholders, the Ministry has implemented the Jan Sunwai facility - a digital grievance redressal platform that enables on-demand video conferencing between the exporters and the government officials. This system has been put in place to ensure grievances' real-time handling, provide direct access to officers and promote transparency via audit trails. 

Additionally, all eligible exporters like small businesses, third party exporters and merchant exporters, can benefit from export promotion schemes provided under Foreign Trade Policy 2023's Chapters 4 and 5. To allow for inclusive access and ease of compliance for such entities, the Government has introduced several supportive measures. For instance, the Government has lowered the application fees for MSMEs that apply for benefits under the export promotion schemes like Advance Authorization and Export Promotion Capital Goods. 

The Niryat Bandhu Scheme is another initiative by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade. This scheme was launched by the government in order to extend support and empower new and small exporters by providing them with expert guidance, mentorship and handholding support throughout their export journey. 

This initiative aims to facilitate entry of such exporters into international trade and improve the overall export competitiveness of India. Such initiatives of the government have led to improved accessibility for small exporters while reducing procedural burdens and manual intervention. The Government has also taken steps to enhance ease of compliance in the export system for all types of exporters, including those located in agro focused areas like Erode in Tamil Nadu.

Under Chapter 3 of FTP, developing the District as an Export Hub Initiative identifies the products/services (like GI products, agricultural clusters and toy clusters) with export potential across all the districts in India. Institutional mechanisms have been created in the form of State Export Promotion Committees, at State/UT level and District Export Promotion Committees at district level, to support export promotion and address the export growth’s bottlenecks in districts.

The Minister of State for Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Shri Jitin Prasada, gave this information in a written response to Lok Sabha on 29 July 2025.

Source: Press Information Bureau (PIB)